Bear-Cubs get even with Grizzlies
The “Battle for Boyertown” is now all even.
The Boyertown community’s two Junior level baseball entries had a rematch Tuesday at the Grizzlies’ home field. The visiting Bear-Cubs, rolled by their Montgomery County counterpart Grizzlies the first time, answered the previous loss by posting a 7-4 victory.
The game got off to a fast start for the Cubs with back-to-back singles from Anthony Nigro and Travis Schiller (3-for-4, double). The Grizzlies, 12-0 winners of the previous game between the teams, limited the damage thanks to an 8-3 double play when Cole Kratz (2-for-4, double) caught a fly ball and threw to first to double off Schiller, who was running on the play.
The Grizzlies (9-4) almost pulled off a triple play, but Nigro barely beat the throw at home to score the Cubs’ first run.
The Grizzlies evened it up in the bottom of the first on an RBI double by Max Kneidinger (2-for-3, double two RBI). The Cubs (11-1-2) retook the lead in the top of the third on an RBI single by Peyton Moyer, but Black got out of a bases-loaded jam by freezing Randy Wynings (2-for-4) with a called third strike
The Grizzlies rallied back with a three-run bottom of the third, but the Cubs ended what looked like it might be a bigger rally by executing a 6-3 double play on a ground ball up the middle.
The Cubs’ big inning was the top of the fifth, when they scored four runs on only one hit, benefiting from five walks and a hit batsman.
The Grizzlies brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh as darkness descended, but Connor Moyer sealed the victory by inducing back-to-back fly outs from the top of the Grizzlies order.
The Cubs had two key outfield assists, in the bottom of the fifth and seventh, when Grizzlies base runners were gunned down trying to stretch hits for extra bases.
Louis Panunzio got the pitching start and the win for the Cubs, yielding five hits through four innings. Connor Moyer entered in relief and got the save, working three four-hit innings.
Black started on the mound for the Grizzlies, going three innings before Adam Medaglia and Robbie Frankenfield finished up in relief. BOYERTOWN BEAR-CUBS 6, NORCHESTER3» Putting up four runs in the top of the fourth Monday, the BearCubs went on to outlast the Big Dawgz in their Berks Junior Independent League game.
Chad Hillegas was Boyertown’s offensive leader, hitting safely twice and driving in two runs. Hillegas also worked five innings on the mound, Nolan Hetrick pitching another two for the Bear-Cubs.